Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Neoliberal Reading Interventions And Student Needs, Mahbuba Hammad

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This article discusses reading programs within the context of Neoliberalism and the extent to which they address student needs. The rise of such reading programs in the market economy has come at the expense of placing the burden of reading development solely on the shoulders of students after restricting their academic and personal growth. The article explores how this has been done without any consideration regarding the needs of ethnically and culturally diverse students; and without taking into account the relationship between poverty and educational outcomes. Without a doubt, this has affected the ability of students to think critically about …

Remaking Identities, Reworking Graduate Study : Stories From First-Generation-To-College Rhetoric And Composition Phd Students On Navigating The Doctorate., Ashanka Kumari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation responds to the decreasing number of first-generation-to-college doctorates in the humanities and the limited scholarship on graduate students in Rhetoric and Composition. Scholars in Rhetoric and Composition have long been invested in discussions of academic and/or disciplinary enculturation, yet these discussions primarily focus on undergraduate students, with few studies on graduate students and far fewer on the doctoral students training to become the next wave of a profession. In this dissertation, I argue that if we engage intersectional identities as assets in the design of doctoral programs, access to higher education and academic enculturation can become more manageable …

"'Who’S There?' 'Nay, Answer Me. Stand And Unfold Yourself' : Attending To Students In Diversified Settings", Naomi C. Liebler

Department of English Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Teaching Shakespeare at secondary or undergraduate university levels is remarkably variegated. Students bring their lives and experiences to their understanding, making it an unpredictably rich experience, regardless of the “level” of the class. I aim to tap into what they already know to enable them to find a path for them to forge their own connections. I want them to own what they read, to make it their own.

Discourses In Practice : A Qualitative Case Study Of An Elementary Esl Teacher And Her Four Congolese Students., Emily Lynn Zuccaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative case study, I examine the ideological becoming—the ways individuals develop their beliefs and ways of viewing the world—of an English as a Second Language (ESL) newcomer literacy teacher and her four Congolese students. These individuals developed beliefs about their identities as a teacher of culturally and linguistically diverse children and students in U.S. schools. I situate my study in Bakhtinian sociocultural theory and draw on translanguaging theory to account for language learners’ creative and flexible uses of their language knowledge in different contexts. Ideological becoming occurs between the tension of authoritative and internally persuasive Discourses (Gee, 2014)—ways …

Grammatical Accuracy Of Narratives Produced By Typically Developing Children Ages 4-7 In Three Story Contexts, Sierra Martin Southwick

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Guo & Schneider (2016) explored different approaches to identifying grammatical impairments in 128 children developing typically (TL) and those with language impairments (LI) between the ages of 6 and 8. The measures that they explored included: calculating the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), the number of errors per C-unit (Errors/CU), and the percent of grammatical C-units (PGCUs) in narrative samples. They found that all three outcome measures provided acceptable diagnostic accuracy when applied to six-year-olds, but PCGUs were found to be the most accurate tool with eight-year-olds.

The purpose of the current study was to analyze the narrative samples of …

Writing With Incarcerated Students Towards Humanization: A Christian Critical Perspective, Deanna C. Kabler

Masters Theses

This thesis centers on the intersections between critical pedagogy and writing instruction in a prison college program with the aim of humanization. A theoretical framework is constructed that relies on the pillars of tenets from Liberation theology, critical pedagogy, an anti-racist and multicultural praxis, and generative culture-making. Writing as the foundation of education is the medium for supporting a humanizing and liberatory education.

Increasing Awareness Of Romantic Behaviors In Former Foster Youth, Kimberly Beardshear

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Because of their inexperience, emerging adults often have a difficult time navigating healthy romantic relationships. For many, the skills necessary for quality relationships are usually learned through parents, friends, or mentors. Foster youth, in particular, may struggle more in developing and sustaining romantic relationships due to the lack of or inconsistent parental guidance or mentoring. To address this, I have created a two-hour lesson for emerging adult foster youth attending Hartnell College in Salinas, California. The content will be comprised of the characteristics of a healthy relationship, role-play scenarios, identifying unhealthy relationship behaviors, and how to use healthy relationship behaviors.

Applying Parental Involvement In Early Literacy, Luis Moya

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Early literacy for young children has been linked with academic achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates, and enhanced productivity in adult life (Monterey County First 5, 2016). Parents may not always know how to engage in literacy development strategies or how they can participate in literacy exposure. Bringing awareness about early literacy parents is a key component to enhancing young children’s development. To address this need,my project will consist of providing an informative presentation about the importance of early literacy with families who attend the Library and Read, Grow, Play program for families with children 0 to 5 at …

Effects Of U.S. English Only Language Instruction On Elementary Latino Students, Juana Palma

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Due to the influx of immigrants into the United States, the U.S. has been a polyglot nation containing a diverse array of languages among its student population. Americans believe that English is part of the American culture. Consequently, the English Only movement was an effort to amend English as an official language to the U.S. constitution. Latinos have been the target group because Spanish has been seen as a threat to the English language. In schools, after the Lau vs. Nichols case in 1974, limited English proficiency students are required instructions in English. In 1998, California passed Proposition 227 that …

Effects Of University Pen Pals On The Literacy Development Of Elementary School Students, Tami Chanthorn

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A study done in a local school to research college student pen pals with first graders and found that students want to learn more about their pen pals, to write, and to strive to produce coherent communication with their university pen pals. Given this study, this senior capstone examines the effects of university pen pals on literacy development of elementary school students through use of literature review and a university pen pals project conducted with a class of elementary school students in the Monterey Bay area. The findings reveal that elementary school students are motivated to learn about higher education, …

Wounds And Writing : Building Trauma-Informed Approaches To Writing Pedagogy., Michelle L. Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation builds a trauma-informed approach to writing pedagogy informed by writing studies scholarship about trauma and inclusive pedagogy, clinical social work literature on trauma-informed care, and interviews with nine current University of Louisville writing faculty about their experiences academically supporting distressed students. I identify three central touchstones—“students are coddled,” “teacher’s aren’t therapists,” and “institutions don’t support trauma-informed teaching”—in scholarly and public debates regarding what to do about student trauma/distress in higher education. After exploring the valid concerns and misconceptions underpinning these touchstones, I illustrate how clinical research offers a way forward to help writing instructors develop more complex understandings …

Learning And Laboring : Student-Workers’ Networked Experiences Of Literacy, Agency, And Mobility In The Neoliberal University., Layne Porta Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhetoric and composition has a well-established tradition of considering the connections between literacy education and the discourses and structures of political-economic institutions. This dissertation builds from this work and foregrounds the experiences of student-workers in the UPS Metropolitan College program through a qualitative study that is informed by institutional ethnography (Smith, 1987, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006). Institutional ethnography examines institutional texts and text-mediated discourses as coordinators of individual action. Therefore, I draw on primary data gathered from individual interviews with nine student-workers and one Metropolitan College administrator as well as supplemental data gathered from a survey administered to composition instructors, …

Russian University Efl Students’ Perceptions Of A Two-Week Online Academic Writing Course, Nataliia Borozdina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study analyzes Russian university EFL students’ perceptions of a two-week online academic writing course. The researcher investigated 13 students’ attitudes towards an online academic English writing class offered at Kursk State University, Kursk’s oldest higher education institution, founded in 1934. In 1994 it was transformed into Kursk State Pedagogical University, and in 2003 it became Kursk State University. Along with the two-week online course assignments, the students completed pre- and post-questionnaires, reflections about the course, and participated in individual and group interviews. The findings of the study indicate that all of the participants had positive perceptions about the …

The Effects Of A Literacy-Based Mentoring Program On Empowering Preadolescent Girls In Their Development Of Confidence, Self-Concept, And Leadership Skillset, Sophia Vincent

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study focuses on empowering preadolescent girls to develop confidence and move from a fixed to growth mindset, take responsibility for their actions, turn failures into learning opportunities, and cultivate a love for self. GIRLS: Leaders on the Rise is a literacy-based mentoring program for preadolescent girls designed to improve confidence, positive self-concept, and develop a leadership skillset through five targeted aspects of leadership: growth mindset, integrity, resilience, love and loyalty, and strengths. Adolescence is a time when students are discovering who they are and shaping their identities. Girls decline in their self-confidence during adolescence due to fear of failure, …

Teaching Students With Language-Based Learning Differences (Lbld) To Write: Examination Of The Explicit Approach Versus Embedding Authentic Writing Into The Curricula, Jane Moskowitz

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Writing is, arguably, the most difficult skill for students to master and is particularly challenging for children who have language-based learning variations. There are different schools of thought about effective writing instruction; some, like Judy Hochman, believe that writing should be taught in a systematic and explicit manner, with heavy focus on the sentence-level and building on mastery of sentence skills to move students to paragraph and compositions writing. There are others, like Ralph Fletcher, who lean more heavily on mentor texts, student choice, and embedding rich literature into the curricula, as a means to cultivate authentic writers in the …

Kindergarteners' Use Of Oral Language When Interacting With Texts, Carrie Lee Owens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research inquiry is to study how kindergartners use oral language when interacting with texts during guided reading, read aloud books, and literacy discussions. Six students were selected from a Basic Skills Instruction (BSI) intervention program to participate in this study. As the academic demands have increased in the kindergarten classroom, it appears that there is a decline in the oral language skills that are the foundation for success as an emergent reader. This study examines the effects of engaging students in talk about books to promote their oral language and reading skills. Characteristics of literacy talk …

Culturally Responsive Training For Secondary English Language Teachers, Tina Mccorkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative study, I investigated the effectiveness of a training intervention program to positively impact secondary teacher attitudes and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The study is relevant in Alvin Independent School District given the demographic shift resulting in an increase in Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher attitudes and perceptions of CRT to determine if there was a statistically significant difference according to pre- and post-survey data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRT program intervention. The CRT research from Ladson-Billings (1992) …

The Effects Of Student-Centered Coaching On The Reading Achievement Of Elementary Students And Teacher Instructional Practice, Merlette Frederick-Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

With student achievement as the focus of educational reform, teachers in today’s classrooms are faced with meeting the needs of a diverse population. These teachers need to have the skill set to meet their students’ varied learning needs. This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined the impact of student-centered coaching on student learning and attitude toward reading using a comparative group (archival data, 2016–2017 school year, of students whose teachers did not receive coaching) and an experimental group (2017–2018 school year, students whose teachers received student-centered coaching). Three teachers and 276 students were taken from a Title I school in a suburban …

Kindergarten Students' Interactions With Texts During Independent Reading, Tracy L. Schaper

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how emergent readers interact with texts during independent reading. Audio recordings of student talk, video taped observations, notes in a teacher research journal, a book selection chart, and concepts about print assessments were all analyzed to determine how emergent readers interact with texts. Findings were that students interact with familiar, unfamiliar, and leveled texts differently including varying levels of conventionality and prosody of language, the comprehension strategies and skills they use to make meaning, and the concepts about print they apply. Findings also included trends for the types of teacher support students …

Choosing Advocacy

Occasional Paper Series

Two articles comprise this publication. In "Beyond the Story-Book Ending: Literature for Young Children About Parental Estrangement and Loss," Megan Matt analyzes over 30 books for young children on the topics of abandonment, estrangement, divorce, and foster care. She observes that this loss might appear as an event within the story or as a fear articulated by a young child. She states that, as an educator, she hopes that she can make the children realize that their own stories are "real" and legitimate, no matter what messages they might encounter or fail to encounter in the media. In "Walking the …

Integrating Technology Into The Literacy Curriculum Within A First Grade Classroom, Christina M. Hargrove

Theses and Dissertations

Technology is ingrained in almost every part of our culture, affecting the way we live, work, play, and learn. Most careers in this day and age require professionals to be proficient in the new literacies of 21st-century technologies. Thus, it only makes sense that technology be used in classrooms with even our youngest learners to help prepare our students to be successful in their futures. This research explores what happens when technology is integrated into the literacy curriculum within a first grade classroom. To this end, technology was integrated into a multitude of literacy lessons and classroom routines. Results revealed …

How Third Grade Students Respond To The Multiple Perspectives In Read Alouds Of Critical Texts, Kathryn Elizabeth Zeck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how students respond to weekly read alouds of critical literacy texts. The specific aim was to see what type of critical stances students adopt as they respond to the multiple perspectives present in the texts. Student written reflections, audio recording of student talk, and anecdotal notes are all analyzed. The implications for implementing weekly read alouds of critical literacy texts as it relates to students' social awareness are discussed.

Advocating For The Use Of Poetry And Mixed Media Work In Analytic Processes, Jason D. Dehart

The Qualitative Report

As part of my analytical process of looking at data collected from a pilot study on the use of film in the classroom, I discovered that I had the space to engage in a creative analysis process. In this article, I propose that creative methods be employed when analyzing data. An arts-based approach to research (Barone & Eisner, 1997) led to two creative products for my research: Poetry, which has been used with research in the past (Cahnmann, 2003; McCullis, 2013) and mixed media. This article explores relevant literature about integrating poetry and other arts into analysis and serves to …

Exploring Learning Differences: A Social Emotional Curriculum For Second Grade, Sophie Paci

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Exploring Learning Differences is a four-week social emotional learning curriculum designed for second grade students by Sophie Paci. The purpose of the curriculum is to encourage students to reflect on themselves as learners and to promote awareness about different learning needs in a community. Students explore this theme through class discussions, interactive read-alouds, group activities, art projects, and independent writing. As a literature-based curriculum, each lesson utilizes a children’s book to engage students in dialogue about learning differences. The literature collection features eight “core books” that are used in interactive read-alouds and ten supporting books students can read independently. The …

Learning Opportunities Available To Frontline Workers, 21cleo Research Team

21CLEO Research Project Blog Posts

In our efforts to better understand the characteristics of learning opportunities available to frontline service workers, we've undertaken a comprehensive review of the work that has been published and distributed in the field. In our last post, we shared that we've collected and reviewed over 50 reports and publications from a variety of sources. This post focuses on our initial findings and insights from this review.

The Process Of Oral Academic Discourse Socialization And Workplace Enculturation Of International Graduate Students Of Business, Denise Mussman

Dissertations

This study addresses the process of oral academic socialization that learners of a second language and culture undergo to succeed in disciplinary graduate courses. The participants were students from Mainland China and Taiwan pursuing an International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) degree at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Guided by social constructivist and language socialization theories, this ethnographic case study investigated factors that facilitated oral academic discourse socialization of speakers of Chinese. A group of eight IMBA Chinese and Taiwanese students studied their first academic year in their home country before transferring to study abroad in the U.S. to …

College Readiness: The Disconnect Between High School And Community College, Elizabeth C. Giacobbe

Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of students attending college continues to increase and college remediation rates remain considerably high, particularly at community colleges. This study explored high school teachers and community college perceptions of college readiness in the area of English. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was employed to develop a better understanding of teachers' perceptions of students' preparedness for the academics rigors of college English. This study was motivated by three research questions. How do community college professors describe college-readiness in the area of English? How do high school teachers describe college-readiness in the area of English? What aspects of college-readiness …

Book Review: Breakbeat Pedagogy: Hip Hop And Spoken Word Beyond The Classroom Walls, Drew Emanuel Berkowitz

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This review explores and critiques Breakbeat Pedagogy: Hip Hop and Spoken Word Beyond the Classroom Walls, a book that presents not only auto-ethnographic observations about the author's own approach to critical media literacy pedagogy, but also his views on the role straight, white, cisgender male educators play in the media literacy education of increasingly-diverse high school student bodies.

Critical Awareness Of Media And Teacher Education: An Experience With Colombian Elt Pre-Service Teachers, Camilo Dominguez

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media texts are exponentially displayed in physical and virtual public spaces and their impact on humanity is unimaginable. Teachers of all fields face the challenge and the responsibility to educate sensitive humans able to critically consume or produce media messages. English language teachers are no exception. In this paper, the author describes a qualitative research study exploring how a group of Colombian pre-service English teachers developed critical awareness of media as they deconstructed advertisements displayed in the public spaces of their rather rural communities. Findings, conclusions, implications for teacher education, and new questions for further research are presented.

Chinese International Learners’ Acculturation At An American University, Zhuofeng Shen

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

In order to investigate the current status and challenges of Chinese international students studying and living in higher education institutions in the United States, and to explore strategies for integrating into the campus life in the United States, this study investigates the current status and challenges of Chinese students studying at a small, private, internationally focused university in the United States, in relation to cultural, linguistic, and academic adaptation. Data was collected through one-on-one interviews with students, faculty, and administrators, as well as observations both in daily courses and university-held social activities.

This study seeks to uncover the current perspectives …